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Marsh Harrier (was - BoP ID)

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  • 26-08-2011 9:24pm
    #1
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭


    Any idea on this one?

    It could be a Buzzard, but looks different than the one I was mostly seeing. See the different colour on the 'shoulders'. It lacked the white band above the tail on the Hen Harrier, and wasn't hovering like a Kestrel.

    I have no idea of numbers on any of the birds in the area.

    Unknown
    B38A12E21B4A486FBD80E1B45DCAC6A8-0000315944-0002507626-00800L-3375B69C80D7417F97A29FAE1111A5A9.jpg

    Buzzard
    787B14EED6DD435D80AB2C5E810221E0-0000315944-0002507629-00800L-1B12D7E69F3A4DF0A1129110EFC14C46.jpg

    Hen Harrier
    F9934614C2214F5DAB8166410BE60057-0000315944-0002507628-00800L-B9AFFF0911214D34B63697B78CF758A6.jpg


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    trebor28
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭trebor28


    i would go with Buzzard also, might it just be a juvenile with some downy feathers which it hasnt gotten rid of?


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    #3
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    Great photo - looks like a young Marsh Harrier.

    Was this taken in Co. Wexford by any chance?

    LostCovey


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    #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Marsh harrier


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    #5
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    Changing my mind, I think I prefer Trebor28's call with a further look at it.

    LC


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    #6
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    Have you more photos? I am assuming you didn't just take the one?


    Its an intriguing bird.

    I think the tail is rather short for Marsh Harrier.

    LC


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    #7
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    From Lough Boora in Offaly, which does get Marsh Harriers.

    BE5CE7FD95FA4B0AA63CF681414761D4-0000315944-0002507703-00800L-FC872F6E97D04607862E84C925BDBBC3.jpg


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    #8
    trebor28
    Registered Users Posts: 1,051 ✭✭✭trebor28


    have you got a higher res pic of the first one that you could upload WUL?

    is the beak bigger or does it just appear that way?

    edit: are you saying all the pics are from Lough Boura?


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    #9
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Everything is from Lough Boora today.

    The pic in post 7 is the only other shot I got in focus, (and isn't a random Marsh Harrier shot from Lough Boora, which it may have come across as).

    This is about as cropped as it will go.

    9CAF25816C4847C59DCE5A71C1E7BA0E-0000315944-0002507732-00800L-3CF0D637621F44309C70333EA48D9B5A.jpg


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    #10
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    whyulittle wrote: »
    Everything is from Lough Boora today.

    The pic in post 7 is the only other shot I got in focus, (and isn't a random Marsh Harrier shot from Lough Boora, which it may have come across as).

    This is about as cropped as it will go.

    Back where I started!

    Marsh Harrier.

    Great find and photos.


    LC


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    #11
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    whyulittle wrote: »
    From Lough Boora in Offaly, which does get Marsh Harriers.

    BE5CE7FD95FA4B0AA63CF681414761D4-0000315944-0002507703-00800L-FC872F6E97D04607862E84C925BDBBC3.jpg

    This is definitely a Harrier profile, much more slender-winged and long-taled than a buzzard


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    #12
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    trebor28 wrote: »
    have you got a higher res pic of the first one that you could upload WUL?

    is the beak bigger or does it just appear that way?

    I think the beak looked big because the pale crown makes the head look small - it is an artefact.

    LC


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    #13
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Nice one, been a productive couple of days over there so. :)

    At the time I presumed it was a Buzzard, with the lack of a white flash over the tail (The Hen Harrier was in the immediate area at the time as well).

    Thanks all.


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    #14
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Marsh Harrier again today I think?

    The white underside to the wing and the black wingtips look like the graphic on the RSPB site.

    Flew out from wetlands.

    064BB336BA8B46B2A2402FB955FD2E37-0000315944-0002510353-00800L-E50316BF733840619A984874CD65E797.jpg

    0C60AB1754F044FCAB5E346F8C5A7332-0000315944-0002510352-00800L-505C1C663A1C4F559EE9D9A4F8D2B1AE.jpg

    5767FB751603435C95F7D208487C896E-0000315944-0002510349-00800L-434FA7B2075C4A7BB67D5D06CDD5A69E.jpg


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    #15
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    I am thinking there might be two birds now.

    Spotted this one today, with white wingtips, and looks the same as the first bird on the back.

    Would welcome any expert opinions.

    7B307801812B45659591D32825E507A7-0000315944-0002513526-00396L-26A93E6FEA6849E8A805F027254F3990.jpg

    3458F8591AB14D00B2ADA9DC0C789D24-0000315944-0002513528-00450L-57159F32C0494C2AA0326FAAA2CD7AAD.jpg

    148445FA9351438FA7FBCD090D634081-0000315944-0002513527-00407L-E137D34AA73042E6B609F63B74E3D29B.jpg

    F610188A9FB4422F8B29592196AFC169-0000315944-0002513523-00493L-C96E9C695834429DB30151A620CCD143.jpg


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    #16
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    I think the first bird is a juvenile Hen Harrier and the second one is the original Marsh Harrier, but open to correction on that.

    LC


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    #17
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    C2D968C804E04B019C88A91638E271A7-0000315944-0002516183-00504L-CC6E5216F2154F26A90CB07A0E588A15.jpg

    46A69C654FD54DC085799CD44B474918-0000315944-0002516177-00461L-73D114B1A34C4FE4863436752F659FB6.jpg

    FD512C6F06FC42F0AFACC62730E28E17-0000315944-0002516182-00551L-F0F1FC98FBF1442B8D5CC5A32A557E0E.jpg

    624D17BA768E48A896E5048E1FA3725F-0000315944-0002516179-00400L-5376BA240928460C83A5CBB58FBE1C86.jpg

    B38123E1B1C34C1682BAB659C40EAF68-0000315944-0002516181-00616L-C0B22F352A2B478AB59F60339B020148.jpg

    324741163F524071967B6A965A237F33-0000315944-0002516178-00482L-1C7395380DD84E54A2FD54F885AA17CD.jpg

    I was chatting to a guy there who had seen one with a grey tail, which he had ID'ed as the male. I spooked the bird out of long grass later in the day (was within feet of it but never saw it :(). This is the one with the larger black wingtips.

    430350C78A14458C8F3075C18AD3B0BA-0000315944-0002516201-00713L-DBD00A0E6909404AAD2DDE7996F9B71E.jpg


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    #18
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    No sign of the other bird today.

    B88619EE70C84404BD64D95BBE9200C0-0000315944-0002517847-00800L-A4846D8CE9D145DBB975B2D900D45FF8.jpg


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    #19
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Got a little bit closer today. It has a very white/grey tail underneath.

    07C0B91C31624733B669F3A563CFBCE5-0000315944-0002528206-00800L-49809F0444CB464ABE30678D4052A9A5.jpg

    DE60A92D09CA474AA39E63498A9638F9-0000315944-0002528205-00800L-507A09183AD7439BB45501541E81650D.jpg

    9DB3E7FEBE80491E846E77B6B00AB2F3-0000315944-0002528204-00800L-85B20B48344F43479BEA6DC86D99614F.jpg


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    #20
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Here's the verdict from the guys at the Golden Eagle Trust.
    GET wrote:
    This birds def a Marsh harrier. From the pics appears to me to be an immature male, prob 2nd summer. Head looks female like but it lacks the red-brown tail and has the pale panels on the underwing of a male.


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    #21
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Look away now if you're sick of this thread.

    Two of them today!

    There were two separate Marsh Harrier sightings on Irish Birding today. One female at Lough Boora, and one unspecified at nearby Banagher.

    01FA5737B0D24B29B19620EAAAEF286D-0000315944-0002534258-00800L-6633827FC46F4E9FAC7A378CA0689CA7.jpg


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    #22
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    whyulittle wrote: »
    Look away now if you're sick of this thread.
    I don't find it easy to look away from Marsh Harriers, gorgeous things.


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    #23
    whyulittle
    Registered Users Posts: 3,878 ✭✭✭whyulittle


    Ah I know yeah. It's just frustrating getting inconclusive shots. It was even a lovely day when I set out, but had mostly clouded over by this stage.

    In better news, I did have separate confirmed male and female Hen Harrier sightings.

    EAC41B97F6F542FFBFEEC3CD75948D21-0000315944-0002534274-00731L-6E34738DC907485F93AFCDADABCEEFCD.jpg


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